


Graveyard Shift

by bethgreenesgf



Series: ASOIAF Rarepair Week [7]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-06-01 12:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15143303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethgreenesgf/pseuds/bethgreenesgf
Summary: “A small black tea with lemon.” Her voice was deep and smooth and persuasive, with a touch of an accent to it. Arya shook her head and entered in her order.“Your name?”“Oh, um,” she seemed a bit flustered at that, and Arya wondered if she was on the run.Stupid, you’re not in a James Bond movie.“Daenerys.”Arya’s fingers went to the keyboard before she had even processed her name. She typed ‘D’ and then froze, ring finger hovering over the ‘A’. She smiled sheepishly at ‘Daynareis’.“And how do you spell that?” She bit her lip, ultimately unable to resist the urge to add, “Sorry.”





	Graveyard Shift

Arya bit back a yawn that threatened to bubble up from her mouth. She had already worked a full shift at her other job when Hot Pie had called her, practically begging her to cover for him so he could take a last minute catering job. Being the good friend that she is, she had of course accepted, but only after forcing a promise of free rides out of him.

“Hi, how what can I get you today?” Arya smiled, looking up from the cash register. Her smile faltered a little as she took in the beautiful woman on the other side of the counter. Her eyes were a deep violet shade the likes of which Arya had never seen before and her hair was a shade of pale blonde that reflected almost silver under the fluorescents. Her hands itched to smooth down the tangled mess of hair on her own head, but she willed the urge away and forced herself to maintain eye contact with the gorgeous customer.

“A small black tea with lemon.” Her voice was deep and smooth and persuasive, with a touch of an accent to it. Arya shook her head and entered in her order.

“Your name?”

“Oh, um,” she seemed a bit flustered at that, and Arya wondered if she was on the run. _Stupid, you’re not in a James Bond movie._ “Daenerys.”

Arya’s fingers went to the keyboard before she had even processed her name. She typed ‘D’ and then froze, ring finger hovering over the ‘A’. She smiled sheepishly at ‘Daynareis’.

“And how do you spell that?” She bit her lip, ultimately unable to resist the urge to add, “Sorry.”

“No, it’s totally fine. D-A-E,” she paused, giving Arya a chance to type it out. Arya let her finger come down on the ‘A’ finally and then the ‘E’. She looked up expectantly, for ‘Daenareis’ to continue. “NER.” Arya flushed slightly, _I had what, two letters right? God that would have been embarrassing._ Arya peaked up at ‘Daenereis’ as she typed that in. Her cheeks looked slightly red, just like Arya’s, as though she were the one embarrassed about this whole awkward encounter. _Well, she is the one having to spell her name out for you like it’s the first day of kindergarten._ She felt a burst of sympathy and decided to go out on a limb.

“YS?” ‘Daenerys’ smiled slowly, eyes crinkling a bit at the corners.

“Why, yes.” Arya laughed, finishing off Daenerys’ order. _Pretty name, Daenerys._ When Arya looked back up from the screen, Daenerys was pulling cash out of her purse, still smiling softly. She looked somehow, more beautiful to Arya than she had when she walked in.

“Is that everything?” Daenerys nodded. “Your total is $2.35.” She handed her a crisp $10 bill, their fingers brushing. Arya bit her lip. “Out of ten.”

Arya put the money in the drawer and counted out her change, balancing the coins on the bills and putting the bills over her receipt.

“$7.65 is your change. Your order should be ready in just a few minutes, Daenerys.”

“Thank you, Arya.” A pleasant shiver went up her back at Daenerys’ use of her name. She stepped just to the side, in what Arya assumed was an attempt not to block other potential customers from placing their orders, despite being the only one in the coffee shop. Arya watched from the corner of her eyes as Daenerys pulled the receipt from the little pile in her hand and tucked it into her pocket, shoving everything else into the tip jar. A 300% tip, Arya willed her eyes not to bug out of her head. Another customer walked in then and monopolized Arya attention. By the time she was handing them back their change, Daenerys was gone.

* * *

 

Arya scribbled on a page from her notebook, taking care not to scratch out any of her notes. She wanted to roll her eyes. What was the point in even staying open if no customers ever came in after ten? She wondered how Hot Pie didn’t go insane waiting around for his entire shift. _Well, that’s why he keeps getting me to cover for him. Ass._ The bell over the door rang as someone walked in. Arya straightened up to greet them. Her heart pounded loud in her ears.

“Daenerys!” Her long silver hair was bound up in intricate braids, and her eyes looked a little brighter than they had last time.

“Arya.” Daenerys smiled, bright white teeth sparkling.

“Small black tea with lemon?”

“Medium. And a medium hot cocoa.” _My favorite. Probably for her boyfriend._

“$6.05.” Daenerys handed her a $20 bill this time and as Arya gave her back her change, repeated the same process of tucking her receipt into her pocket and putting the change into the tip jar. Arya wanted so badly to ask her why she did that. _It’s rude to ask a customer about a tip, whether it’s large or small_. Arya could hear Weasel behind her, already working on Daenerys’ order. She set the two cups on the counter and Daenerys took one in each hand.

“Would you like to sit with me?” Arya felt herself gaping like a fish, but could do nothing to compose herself for a moment, _me?_ She fought the urge to look around for who else she could be talking to. Her mouth snapped closed.

“I’m not supposed to leave the register,” Arya mumbled miserably.

“We close in five minutes, it’s fine,” Weasel said, hip-checking her. Daenerys smiled brightly at her and motioned to the table closest to them, setting her tea down on one side and the hot cocoa down on the other. _Me?_ Arya sat across from her, playing with the tie on her apron. Arya watched Daenerys sip at her tea, ‘Daenerys’ written down the side in Weasel’s signature scrawl. She glanced down at the hot cocoa and saw her own name on it.

“I’ve been in here, almost every day, hoping you’d be working.” Daenerys played with the lid of her drink, dragging her nails over the words _Caution: HOT_. “I finally worked up the courage to ask your friend about you and he told me you never took this shift because it bored you to tears. I hope you don’t mind too much that I had him trick you into covering. I work nights.” Arya’s brow furrowed.

“I don’t understand.”

“I wanted to see you again.” Daenerys reached across the table and placed her hand over Arya’s. Arya looked down at their hands and bit her lip. _She likes me._ Arya smiled, linking her fingers with Daenerys’.

**Author's Note:**

> For ASOIAF Rarepairs "[Rarepair Week](https://asoiafrarepairs.tumblr.com/post/173749507007/asoiafrarepairs-weve-all-seen-fandom-events)", Day Seven — Free Choice.


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